Box Score JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Belmont (20-8, 10-2 A-Sun) reached the 20-win plateau in grand style on Saturday, defeating ETSU (14-15, 7-6 A-Sun) on the road in straight sets. The win turned out to be more than just the 20th victory on the season, as it gave the Bruins the number one seed in next week's conference tournament and ensures the Belmont will receive at least a share of the regular season conference title. The title is the first for the Bruins since 2008, when Belmont also won the tournament championship and made the NCAA tournament.
"I'm very proud of our team for the regular season that they've experienced," Head Coach Deane Webb said. "Although we'll have plenty of time once our season concludes to reflect on the successes we've experienced so far and those to come, today is a day for our team to enjoy the accomplishments they've earned over the last two months. I'm not sure our team understands what 20 wins represents. It is one of those benchmarks that all coaches are aware of, and any team that earns 20 wins at the Division 1 level has had a great year. I'm proud of our team for earning every one of them."
The Bruins' entered the weekend with a firm grip on the number two seed in the conference tournament and needing some help to earn a share of the title after two conference losses. Belmont ended league-leading Lipscomb's 44-conference win streak to hand the Lady Bisons their first conference loss. The Bruins got some help from ETSU, who also defeated Lipscomb on Friday, setting Belmont up with a chance to clinch the top seed and a share of the conference title with a win over the Buccaneers. The win was not a foregone conclusion, with the Bruins entering the match with a 1-3 record in Johnson City, Tenn., having lost a five-set match to ETSU on the road last season. Belmont took the first meeting between the two teams this season, a 3-1 win in the Curb Event Center. With the win today, the Bruins improved to 8-3 all time against the Buccaneers.
"ETSU is a tough team to play, and especially on the road," Webb said. "We've had some challenges there in the past, so it was particularly rewarding to earn the win in three sets. Though we won in three sets, two of the sets were decided by only two points. They are an outstanding blocking team and have an outside that hits the ball harder than any other player in the Atlantic Sun. Those combine for a formidable opponent, and we know we'll need to play even better if we are to earn the win against them next time. It is quite possible we will play them in the semifinal, and we look forward to that challenge."
Belmont was paced, as usual, by senior Maggie Johnson (Naperville, Ill.), who finished with 19 kills. Johnson got help on offense from sophomore Jen Myer (New Braunfels, Texas), who also posted double-digit kills with 10. For just the second time this season, Myer didn't post a service ace, but the Bruins still out-served ETSU, getting two aces from sophomore Hannah Miranda (Covington, La.) and one each from sophomores Allison McCoy (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Jamie Lundstrom (La Grange, Ill.). Lundstrom led team with 22 digs, while Miranda recorded 33 assists and 11 digs for a double-double.
Johnson, the 2011 Preseason Conference Player of Year, has led the league in kills and points throughout the season while continuing to climb the Atlantic Sun and Belmont career charts. Last week, Johnson became the school's career leader in attacks and currently ranks third in school history in kills.
"It was obvious she really wanted the win today, and she showed great energy throughout the match," Webb said. "I'm happy for her that her final regular season ended the way that it did."
Like Johnson, libero Jamie Lundstrom has also led the conference in her statistical category, having amassed nearly 500 digs on the season. Earlier this season, she set a new Curb Event Center record with 40 digs against Sacramento State. Lundstrom has recorded over 30 digs twice and recorded 22 against ETSU.
"In my opinion, Jamie is the best libero in the conference," Webb said. "Her stats back that up. When she plays with the hunger and intensity she concluded the match with today, she is outstanding. In addition to her defense, her serve often goes unnoticed. She had a couple of runs this weekend while serving that allowed us to put some distance between us and our opponent."
Belmont got an all-around performance from setter Hannah Miranda. Miranda has led the conference in assists throughout the season and has helped Belmont rank in the top ten in team hitting percentage and kills. Miranda, often an unsung hero for the Bruins, turned in a double-double against ETSU.
"A setter's number one job is to make everyone around them look better," Webb said. "Sometimes Hannah doesn't get the credit she deserves because she doesn't attack as often as some, or maybe isn't as loud, but she is becoming a great player for us. What a well rounded match she had today…she is absolutely peaking at the right time."
The Bruins will be back in action next Friday in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, hosted by Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. As the number one seed, Belmont will play the winner of one of the quarterfinal matches at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18th. The match will be broadcast on ASun.TV. All tournament schedule information can be found at www.atlanticsun.org, and all Belmont information, including full recaps, schedules, live stat and video links, can be found at www.belmontbruins.com.
